IPA: /ˈpeɪtənt/
KK: /ˈpætənt/
Easily seen or understood; clear and obvious.
The solution to the problem was patent, making it easy for everyone to grasp.
A legal document that gives someone the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a certain period of time.
She received a patent for her innovative new device.
To officially register an invention or idea so that no one else can use it without permission.
She decided to patent her new invention to protect her rights.
Past: patented
Past Participle: patented
Patent → It is derived from the Latin 'patere' (meaning to lie open) and the suffix '-ent' (indicating an agent or condition). The word 'patent' refers to something that is open or accessible, particularly in the context of rights or inventions being made publicly known.
Think of something that is 'open' ('patere') to everyone, which helps you remember that a patent means a right that is publicly accessible.